Features in Windows that you'd like to see in GNOME / Ubuntu.

[chriswyatt]

One feature that I really miss from Windows is being able to ctrl-click items on the task bar in order to tile them vertically or horizontally. It's a handy feature which I use quite a bit on Windows.

Maybe there is a way to replicate this functionality in GNOME without manually positioning the Windows but I haven't found it yet.

Which begs the question, does anyone else have anything they miss from their Windows days?

[bunburya]

I kinda miss the BSOD...

[omar8]

I kinda miss the BSOD...

Well since Microsoft took it out of their operating systems too I guess Linux isn't lagging behind them in this department anymore.

[bunburya]

I saw it on Vista the other day, to my amusement.

[chriswyatt]

Well, there's an online version of BSOD you can play here!

http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/BSOD

[lisati]

I kinda miss the BSOD...

I do and I don't. The weirdest one I had was caused in part by applying Windows updates....

[TheNessus]

the biggest feature I miss that Windows has is lack of prejudice.

[Baneblade]

Definitely the "aero snap".
The hacks that currently exist to implement this are not only overly complex, but also fail to meaningfully replicate the functionality imo.

[NightwishFan]

There is already a thread like this in recurring discussions.
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1335065

[ZarathustraDK]

Though I like the idea of modularity in Linux, sometimes it gets in the way.

Stuff like having to configure a proxy in Gnome, Firefox and Synaptic separately, instead of just doing it in one place can be really annoying. The obvious expectation is that once you configure a proxy in your Gnome Network dialog, then it'll carry over, if not for firefox, then at least for the systems package manager.

[Psumi]

Nothing that requires compositing. Which means Aero effects (IE: Snap and Peek.)

Sorry, but I don't see the point in eyecandy.

[NightwishFan]

Sorry, but I don't see the point in eyecandy.

I agree. I like that such interfaces are available though I tend to use just standard Gnome with Metacity. (Which is why I frown on Gnome Shell, even though it is cool.)

[Baneblade]

Nothing that requires compositing. Which means Aero effects (IE: Snap and Peek.)

Sorry, but I don't see the point in eyecandy.

What you see as eye-candy i view as organisation and time saving. Yes, i agree there are some things that are pure eye-candy and serve no functional purpose. For the most part however, most of the composition effects are actually useful from a productivity standpoint. At least for me personally.

[MrNatewood]

Ctrl+Alt+Delete to taskbar no matter what app is running and freezing.

In ubuntu you have to fall back to command line as key combination to run system-monitor does not work when running say a game in fullscreen.

[civillian]

Well since Microsoft took it out of their operating systems too I guess Linux isn't lagging behind them in this department anymore.

oh ho ho, good joke, it's still there, even in windows 7, had it numerous times, I like how linux uses non-ridiculous codes to describe crashes.

Aero-snap definitely, but it could be so much better implemented than it is in windows 7, like having quadrants instead of halves of the screen, etc.

[iamwhatiseem]

I miss the slow boot times.
I mean...on Sunday mornings you want everything to be slow...I would turn on the computer, fix my coffee...fry a couple eggs...bacon...come back to the computer - and it would be just finishing booting up.
Now...my computer is in a hurry like everything else these days....heck it is already waiting on me before I make it to the kitchen...feels like someone is in the next room sighing and tapping their feet with ever growing impatience...adds stress to a guy you know.

[Jesus_Valdez]

I don't use Windows too often, but it's been a while since I saw my last BSOD.

Sometimes miss the double-click to rename a file, it's easier that rigth-click-rename.

[chriswyatt]

I don't use Windows too often, but it's been a while since I saw my last BSOD.

Sometimes miss the double-click to rename a file, it's easier that rigth-click-rename.

I still do that sometimes out of habit. F2 still works though.

[Arthur_D]

Oh I HATE that. If I could get a dollar for each time I accidentally double-clicked it so it thought I wanted to do a rename, when all I ever wanted was to START the application/edit the file, I would be rich! :tongue:

[chriswyatt]

I never had that problem. As you long as you click faster than your double-click speed it should be fine shouldn't it?

EDIT: Hmm, come to think of it this might've happened to me a few times.

[Arthur_D]

Maybe it just is me being lazy then. :popcorn:

[gn2]

Question is the wrong way round surely?
There's nothing in Windows which I miss in Ubuntu but there's plenty from Ubuntu I would like to see in Windows.

[Psumi]

What you see as eye-candy i view as organisation and time saving. Yes, i agree there are some things that are pure eye-candy and serve no functional purpose. For the most part however, most of the composition effects are actually useful from a productivity standpoint. At least for me personally.

Too bad that my computer cannot handle eye-candy like that.

[RiceMonster]

Backwards compatibility.

[chriswyatt]

Backwards compatibility is hit and miss in Windows though, I remember upgrading to XP and I couldn't play a load of my old games :(

But yeah, I've noticed Linux is bad as well, if a package stops being maintained you basically can't get it to work unless you have the programming / compiling skills to fix it. And if it's not open-source then there's no hope.

Though saying that, I haven't tried Windows 7 so Microsoft may have improved on this front, especially as they're using virtualisation now.

[litemirrors]

I'm not really sure, I just think they should really concentrate on integrating Compiz like effects into their interface as OPTIONS and really open plugin development too. After-all the compositing engine will be in place so why not make it easy to work with and such. It would also be nice to see more flexibility, say with their taskbar, so maybe it can be made into a circle and stuff, or you can have multiple circled taskbars, or even just draw the taskbar how you want it! Oh well :S

[tadcan]

I would like to right click and start a new open office etc document.

I also would like file icons to stay and not be lost when I reboot. Also better file association. windows 7 has a drop down menu for all the programs able to open a file. The display option only remembers the last one.

I would also like to associate programs with files that I didn't get from the repos. Say I install songbird in windows, it gets that its an audio application, ubuntu doesn't.